Electric rat-trap.



0.;w. GRIFFITH.

Eim'rmc RAT TRAP.

APPLICATION FILED THE. 23, 1912. 1,059,358. Patented Apr. 22, 1913.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

ATTORNEYS INVENTOR CW6,"

GMMMT' G. W. GRIFFITH.

ELBUTBIG RAT TRAP.

APPLIOATI'OH rnnn rm. 2a, 1912.

Patented Apr. 22, 1913.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

' v ATTORNEY-:9:-

ITED STATES Fries.

CHARLES WESLEY GRIFFITH, OF ALTOONA, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOB 0F ONE-HALFTO SAMUEL A. TREES, OF ALTOONA, .IPENNSYLVANIA.

ELECTRIC RAT-TRAP.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 22, 1913.

Application filed February 23, 1912. Serial No. 679,511.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES W'EsLnY GRIFFITH, a citizenof theUnitedStates of America, residing at Altoona, in the county of Blair andState of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvementsin Electric Rat-Traps, of which the following is a specification,reference being had therein to the accompanying drawing.

The invention relates to electric rat traps, and has for its object toprovide means in a manner as hereinafter set forth for trapping a rodentand electrocuting it if it makes an attempt to leave the compartment inwhich it is'trapped.

A further object of the invention is to provide an electrocuting rattrap with means, in a manner as hereinafter set forth, for drowning therodent if he should not be electrocuted when attempting to escape fromthe compartment in which he is trapped.

Further objects of the invention are to provide an electric rat trapwhich is comparatively simple in its construction and arrangement,strong, durable, efficient and convenient in its use, readily set up,and comparatively inexpensive to manufacture.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, the invention consists inthe novel construction, combination, and arrangement of parts ashereinafter more specifically described and illustrated in theaccompanying drawings, wherein is shownan embodimentof the invention,but it is to be understood that changes, variations and modificationscan be resorted to which come within the scope of the claims hereuntoappended.

' In describing the invention in detail, reference is had to theaccompanying drawings, wherein like reference characters denotecorresponding parts :throughout the several Views, and in which- Figure1 is a top plan view of an electric rat trap in accordance with thisinvention. Fig. 9 is an end view thereof. Fig. 3 is a cross-sectionalview on line X-X of Fig. 1. Fig. 4. is a longitudinal sectional view online YY of Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is a longituclirial-sectional View ,on lineZ-Z of Fig. 1. Fig. 6 is a detail illustrating the circuit closingplate.

Referring to the drawings in detail, the

body of the trap is formed rectangularly in metallic material. -Withinthe body 1 is arranged a partition 2 forming the body of the trappingcompartment 3 and of the well 4, which contains a body of water \Vith inthe trapping compartment 3 is arranged a ledge 6 formed by anangle'shaped piece of material 7 which is suitably secured to the innerface of the body 1.

The front end of the body 1 which is indicated by the referencecharacter 8, is provided at one side with a pair of vertically disposedguides 9 for a door 10, the latter being adapted to close the entrance11 to the trapping compartment 3.

Rotatably mounted upon the front of the body 1 near the top thereof is apair of pulleys l2, and journalcd in the opening 13, formed in the frontend 8 of the body 1 is a pulley 14. Connected to the door 10 andtraveling over the pulleys 12, 14, is a cable 15, which is utilized inthe manner as hereinafter set forth to reset the trap, orin other words,to leave the door 10 so that it can be engaged by a suitablecatch and bemaintained in'an elevated position, thereby compartment.

Secured to the inner face of the front end 8 of the body 1 is aninwardly extending bracket 10 a carrying a spring-controlled keeper 17,the function of the latteris to project forwardly and engage the loweredge of the door 10 so as to maintain it in an elevated position. Whenthe keeper 17 is pulled inwardly, the door is lowered thereby closingthe trapping compartment 3.

Connected to the keeper 17 is a cable 18 which extends down through apair of eyes 19 which are connected to the inner face of the partition2. The cable 18 depends below the lower of the eyes 19 and carries abait 20. It will be assumed that the trapping compartment 3 is open anda rodent enters the same, he immediately makes for the bait 20 and as hepulls upon the same, the cable is drawn inwardly, moving the keeper 17from below the lower end of the door 10 and the latter falls by gravityto a closed position whereby the rodent is trapped in the compartment 3.

The cover of the body is indicated by the reference character 21 andincludes a hinged portion 22 which is arranged over the well 4, so thata portion of the cover can be elevated and the rodent-s removed from thewell 4 when occasion so requires. The manner end a circuit closing 2nosaesa in which the rodents are discharged into the well '4 will bepresently referred to.

. Secured to one side of the body 1 is a plug 23 for the leading-inwires- 24,25. Leading from the plug 23 to a contact plate 26mounted in abar of insulation 27 is a circuit-torming wire 28. The plate 26 ispositioned near one end of the bar 27 and mounted in said bar, inproximity to its other end, is a con tact plate 29, from which leads thecircuit wire 30, the latter extending to a lamp 31 secured to one sideof the body 1. Leading from the plug 23 to the lamp 31 is a'cireuit wire32.. The door 10 carries at its' lower member 33, which, when the doorfalls to closed position, engages the plates 26 and 29 and closes thelam circuit 31, whereby the lamp will be illuminated to startle orfrighten the rodent.

Arranged within the trapping compartment 3 and'over the ledge 6 is aninclined tube 34 which is maintained in position by a bracket 35. Thetube 34 extends in proximity to the partition 2, and extending into theupper end of the tube 34 is the weighted section 36 of a pivoted tubularmember, the other section, beingj indicated by the reference character37, s longer than the section 36 and is connected'fto and insulated fromthe latter l the wire 28.

by a band of non-conducting material 38. The section 37 is formed ofconducting material. The weighted section 36 normally maintains thesection 3'3 elevated. The tubular member is pivoted in an opening 39formed at the top of the partition 2. To the section 36 is connected aneye 40, through which extends the cable 15, the latter being fixed tothe free end of the section 37, as at 41. The section 36 is also formedof con ducting material and when the tubular mem her is tilted so as tolower the section 37, the section 36 engages with a contact 42 to whichis' connected a circuit wire 43 leading from When the tubular member istilted so as to lower the section 37, the latter engages with thecontact 44 to which leads circuit wire 45, the latter being connected tothe circuit wire 32.. The tubular member projects into the well 4 for apurpose to be presently referred to. When the tabular member is-tiltedso as to lower the section 31,

the cable 15 is carried therewith, elevating the door 10 so that thekeeper 17 can project forwardly, the keeper engaging" 031%? the door 10and resetting the trap. of; the tubular member is bad through the mediumof the weight of the rodent and which is now referred to.

It will be assumed that the rodent has been caught in the chamber 3 andthe deer 10 lowered closing the circuit toilluminate the lamp. Therodent will then try to es cape ,from the trapping chamber 3 and willreleased from below b er tor forming an The tilting.

jump upon the ledge 6, travel up to the tube 34 and into the tubularmember. As the rodent crawls through the tubular member, the latter willbe tilted downwardly, closing the circuit through the rodent, due to thefact that one part of the rodent will engage the section 36 and theother section 37, under such conditions electrocu'tmg the. rodent,

and as the member will. be tilted, the rodent will be discharged intothe body of water within the well 4. it, through any cause the rodent isnot electrocuted in the tubular member, he will be discharged therefrominto the body of water 5 and drowned.

What I claim is:

1. A rat trap comprising a body portion. including a trappingcompartment having an entrancaopening, a vertically movable door forclosing said opening, a keeper for maintaining said door in an elevatedposition above said opening, a cable connected to said keeper, a baitattached to the cable and adapted to be attacked by the rodent wherebysaid cable is pulled and the keeper the door so that the latter canclose said entrance opening, a lamp within said compartment, means incircuit with said lamp whereby an electric circuit is formed when saiddoor closes said opening to illuminate said trapping compartment tostartle the rodent, a second compartment communicating with saidtrapping compartment and trapping devices cooperating with saidcompartments and discharging into said second compartm nt.

2. A. rat trap comprising the combination with trapping compartment, ofa tube leading toward one wall. of said compartment, a tubular memberformed of two sections, one of said sections of greater length than theother, said shorter section being weighted and normally extending intosaid tabs and extending through said wall, insulation. means supportingsaid elongated section from said shorter section, means for piyotallyconnecting said insulation means to said Well thereby permitting of saidmember to he tilted-by the weight of a rodent against the action of theweighted short section, a pair of contacts, circuit forming wiresleading to said contacts, said contacts adapted to be engaged by thesections of said memelectrocuting circuit when said member is tilted bythe weight of a rodent, said circuit being closed through the rodent.

in whereof l afix my signature inthe presence of two witnesses.

tfi-iABI/ES .WT-ELEY GRTEBITH. Witnesses:

SAMUEL A. Trace,- Pararcn J. ldrnm.

